What's the Most Annoying Thing Someone's Said to You During Your Engagement?

Your engagement should be a happy time, right? But sometimes, people in your life (or people you merely encounter during wedding planning) say things you should never say to a bride and ruin your fabulous mood. One very special banquet manager managed to do that to me once...

We were checking out wedding reception halls, and the banquet manager at one was leading me, Paul, and my mom around. I don't remember why Paul stepped away, but he did, and in that moment, the middle-aged banquet manager turned to me and asked, "How old are you?"

I thought it was an odd question to ask a potential customer, especially since it seemed like she was waiting 'til Paul wasn't there to ask (because she didn't think he knew my age? because she knew it was rude and didn't want more witnesses to her uncouth behavior), but it was just a question, so I gave her an honest answer: "25."

Her reply? "Oh, you look like a baby."

Even if that was what she thought, couldn't she have kept that comment to herself? Though some who have heard this tale told me I should take her remark as a compliment (and maybe as more of these wrinkles surface, I will), I don't know an engaged 20-something out there who wants to hear that she more closely resembles an infant than a bride. Plus, the banquet manager's accusing tone seemed to say, "You look too young to be engaged." I was so angry in that moment that I was rendered speechless.

Had it happened today, I probably wouldn't have been so perturbed. But back then, I was already sensitive about how young I was during my engagement (in relation to my fellow New Yorkers, not the rest of the country), and this perfect stranger seemed to be stabbing that vulnerable spot with a pointy stick. In fairness, she had no idea that age was a touchy topic for me. Still, that wedding venue was a bit of a shit show, so we didn't end up getting married there.

While there were countless other irksome moments throughout our engagement, that one still stands out as one of the worst offenses because someone I'd just met felt she could 1. ask me that question and 2. respond the way she did.

Have you encountered any characters like that during your engagement? What did they say to you that bugged you? Did you have a more clever response than my silence?